Military East’s dance school might have a new name and new owners, but as they say in show business, the dance goes on.

Mother and daughter Carla Farnsworth and Juliet Farnsworth-Henry have taken over Stage One Dance Center and renamed it Farnsworth Dance Academy. After 25 years of running Stage One, Julie Sevier made the decision to move on and handed over ownership to Farnsworth, one of the head teachers, and Farnsworth-Henry, who had trained at Stage One for several years.

“I think it came to a point in her life where she wanted to spend more time with her family and sort of handed the reins over to Juliet and myself,” Farnsworth said.

It was a natural transition, as both Farnsworths have a love for dancing that goes all the way back. Carla Farnsworth’s mother Elizabeth was a professional dancer who operated the School of Dance and Theater Arts in Indianapolis for several years where Carla began dancing at the age of 3. She was trained in classical ballet, jazz, tap and gymnastics, and her love of dancing carried on through adulthood where she got to dance in such Broadway productions as “Chicago,” “Oklahoma,” “Funny Girl” and got to play the role of Shelia in London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane production of “A Chorus Line.” Farnsworth got to work with such greats as Bob Fosse, Gwen Verdon and Chita Rivera; appeared in soap operas like “Days of Our Lives” and “All My Children” and even danced live at the 1981 Grammys during Irene Cara’s performance of “Fame.”

That love of dancing transferred over to Farnsworth-Henry who also began dancing at the age of 3. She performed in Benicia High School’s dance program for four years before graduating in 2012 and even helped choreograph the spring musicals. Farnsworth-Henry has performed in a variety of performing arts companies throughout California and has been a guest instructor at various Bay Area dance studios.

“The performance and art gene runs in the family,” Farnsworth-Henry said.

Farnsworth loves the job for its ability to teach her passion to a new generation.

“Dance brings me the greatest joy that I know through freedom of movement and spirit, and I love teaching children and bringing them that joy of movement to them,” she said.

Farnsworth-Henry feels the same way.

“This is my greatest passion, and I can pass it on to so many young dancers,” she said. “I can share with them my experiences.”

Farnsworth-Henry said one of her favorite quotes was from famed choreographer and dance educator Joe Tremaine, “Dance training is life training.”

“We are gearing these students for the professional world,“ she said. “Even if they don’t want to be dancers as a career, you can learn so many life lessons through dance that can carry you into any industry.”

Farnsworth Dance Academy— named for the love of dancing employed by three generations of Farnsworths— continues to offer classes in a range of styles, including contemporary ballet, jazz, tap and hip-hop. The academy offers competition and performance opportunities through its nonprofit company, North Bay Performing Arts, which the Farnsworths are artistic directors of.
Many of Stage One’s teachers are continuing at Farnsworth Dance Academy. The staff have worked at various dance institutions, including Oakland Ballet and Napa Valley College’s Natural Order Dance Team. Other faculty are past or current students in Benicia High’s dance program, and its current director Samantha Sanchez is also part of the team.

“Our studio embodies the most experienced teachers in the area,” Farnsworth said.

The studio also managed to attract the attention of Kida Burns, also known as “Kida the Great” the winner of the 13th season of “So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation.”

“He was the very first class we had here at the grand opening,” Farnsworth-Henry said. “We’re going to really try to bring in more master teachers to come and teach and bring more of the professional world to Benicia.”

Classes are open to everybody from the ages of 2 1/2 to adulthood.

“We don’t exclude it to just our studio,” Farnsworth-Henry said. “We open it to everybody.”

Farnsworth Dance Academy is located at 390 Military East. For more information on the academy, including classes, go to FarnsworthDanceAcademy.com or call 745-1834.